The present invention is directed to a personal aircraft device (xe2x80x9cPADxe2x80x9d) and a powered personal aircraft device (xe2x80x9cPPADxe2x80x9d). Specifically, the present invention is directed to an aircraft device configured to be ridden by a person or user, and/or cooperate and releasably connect to a user""s body.
The concept of an aircraft or glider for accommodating a person so as to fly in air is old. The initial aircraft tended to be unpowered gliders, and/or otherwise configured to be launched from a higher elevation to a lower elevation. For example, a glider could be launched from a tower, wall, hill, rooftop, mountain, cliff, plateau or other suitable higher elevation. These original gliders and even the gliders of today are configured to have high glide ratios to provide a slow and safe descent from one higher elevation to a lower elevation, and land unassisted. Typically, gliders have wings with a high aspect ratio for providing the high glide ratio.
A powered aircraft capable of gaining altitude was invented, developed and flown by the Wright brothers at the famous site in Kitty Hawk, N.C. Other powered aircraft had been invented and created over the decades in the twentieth century into a wide array of aircraft for numerous applications from civilian aviation, commercial aviation, military aviation into all aspects of aerospace applications. There still exists new and commercially viable conceptual platforms and applications of aerospace, and the present invention is to provide a new aircraft platform and novel applications for a personal aircraft device (xe2x80x9cPADxe2x80x9d) and a powered personal aircraft device (xe2x80x9cPPADxe2x80x9d).
Ganev (U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,859) discloses a sail board configured for use both on waves and in the air. The board has a substantially fixed configuration, similar to existing fiberglass surf boards, and relies on the sail for maneuverability.
Further, sky diving including free falling and parachuting have been popular in past years. High performance parachutes have been developed for providing controlled turning, increased maneuverability and/or gliding.
The ability to provide increased performance, new maneuvers and/or completely new applications for a sky diving and flying with the personal aircraft device according to the present invention will become apparent based on the description of the present invention to be provided hereinbelow. Further, the concept of a FLYING BOARD(trademark) or AIR BOARD(trademark) will be described hereinbelow.
An object of the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device (xe2x80x9cPADxe2x80x9d) or a powered personal aircraft device (xe2x80x9cPPADxe2x80x9d).
A second object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device including a support and/or board provided with a wing, and configured to be ridden and/or cooperate and releasably connect to a user.
A third object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device including a support and/or board provided with at least one movable control surface, and configured to cooperate and releasably connect to a user.
A fourth object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device including a support and/or board configured to cooperate and releasably connect to a person, a wing connected to and extending from the board, and at least one movable control surface associated with the board and/or wing.
A fifth object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device including a support and/or board configured to cooperate and releasably connect to a user, and a wing connected to the board. The wing configured to be deployed from a substantially non-operational configuration to an operational configuration.
A sixth object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device including a board configured to cooperate and releasably connect with a user, and a wing connected to the board, the wing configured to move from one configuration to another configuration.
A seventh object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device including a board configured to cooperate and releasably connect with a user, at least one wing connected to the board, the device configured to descend at a substantially steep glide ratio.
An eighth object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device including a board configured to cooperate and releasably connect with a user, and a wing connected to the board, the device configured to provide at least two (2) different glide ratios.
A ninth object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device, including a board configured to cooperate and releasably connect with a user, and a wing connected to the board, the wing configured to change from one aspect ratio to another aspect ratio.
A tenth object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device, including a board configured to cooperate and operationally connect with a user, and a wing, the device configured to be controlled by movement of at least one body part of the user.
The present invention is directed to a personal aircraft device to be ridden by a person or user, and/or configured to be releasably connected to the user. Preferably, the connection, coupling and/or linkage between the personal aircraft device according to the present invention and one or more body parts of the user creates an operational arrangement or system where the personal aircraft device and user become one and operate as a single aircraft unit. Thus, it is preferable that the personal aircraft device according to the present invention utilizes a board, board-like or board-type support configured to cooperate with a user""s body in a particular configuration (e.g. laying down, serpentine, or other suitable orientation of the user""s body). However, it is to be understood that other supports other than a board can be utilized in some embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.
The personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be utilized in a wide variety of applications. However, preferred embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention are configured to be relatively small in size, easy to store, easy to deploy, highly maneuverable, provide high performance free fall or flight and in some embodiments can obtain a suitable glide ratio for potential safe unaided landing. Preferred embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured for use from exiting the top of a tall building, for example, during an emergency, or being deployed from another aircraft the same or similar currently used for sky diving or parachuting. Thus, it is important that the personal aircraft device when releasably connected to a person can manage to exit through a doorway or exit way of civilian, military or potentially some type of commercial aircraft.
Regarding deployment from aircraft, winged embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention preferably have wings that are stowed in a manner to substantially reduce the overall width of the personal aircraft device when connected to a user to allow exiting the aircraft, and then subsequent deployment of the wing after exiting the aircraft. It is somewhat desirable that the wings are deployed rapidly after exiting the carrier aircraft while the personal aircraft device has not yet accelerated to free fall velocity to reduce stress on the user and personal aircraft device when deploying the wings. However, certain embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention, particularly those having low aspect ratio wing or short wing span configurations, can be designed to allow deployment at any time, even during free fall, or redeployment after wings are stowed in midair after a previous deployment.
The embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention utilizing a board or board type aircraft platform can be configured so that the board provides very little aerodynamic effect (e.g. lift), or can be configured so that the board provides a significant aerodynamic effect (e.g. board acting as a lifting body or wing itself, or configured to provide other aerodynamic effects to provide roll, pitch and/or yaw of the aircraft). Preferred embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention provide a high to very high level of maneuverability of the personal aircraft device to allow rolls, loops, spirals, gliding maneuvers, high speed diving maneuvers, front or side sliding or backward sliding maneuvers, etc.
The personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured to provide a wide variety of different types of glide ratios. For example, the aspect ratio of the board and/or wing or combination can be selected and designed for particular applications and can have a fixed or variable geometry. For sport applications, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured to provide a substantially low glide ratio to provide a wide variety of maneuvers the same or similar to free falling sky divers. The personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured so that the glide ratio is such that a user would be required to wear a parachute that would necessarily be deployed prior to landing, since the personal aircraft device would not provide enough glide ratio to land safely without a parachute. Alternatively, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured to be highly maneuverable in free fall, however, provides enough of a glide ratio to safely land. In any event, it is desirable that either the user and/or the personal aircraft device is provided with a parachute (preferably redundant parachutes) in case of an emergency such as an equipment failure, personal distress, user passing out to be unconscious or configured to provide a variety of other failsafe measures. For other sports applications, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured to provide a substantial glide ratio to significantly extend air-time or flight-time for the user in the air, and may allow maneuvering and gliding to an extent to allow the user to reach a particular designated position or zone on the ground (e.g. near take off airport, particular landing field, or other desired landing zone or spot). For emergency applications, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention would be configured or designed to minimize or eliminate the need for any flight experience (e.g. like a parachute), however, provide some maneuverability, for example to avoid the side of a building or other buildings or obstructions when jumping from the top of a high building to increase the chances of a safe landing with a later deployed parachute.
For military applications, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention, can be configured to provide high speed free falls from significant altitudes to avoid detection and/or avoiding contact with enemy fire while also providing a significant glide ratio to allow the user to reach a designated landing zone. For example, a winged personal aircraft device according to the present invention can have the wing deployed immediately after exiting the carrier aircraft to allow the user to glide towards the designated landing zone at high altitude, then the wing stowed to allow very rapid speed descent to drop a significant portion of the altitude, and then redeployment of the wing to finalize gliding to the landing zone with or without a final parachute drop for the remainder of the altitude depending on the configuration of the personal aircraft device and/or the particular application or mission.
In some embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention, the personal aircraft device is configured to transform from one configuration to another configuration to provide different glide ratios to increase the flight envelope and/or performance of the personal aircraft device. For example, the personal aircraft device can be provided with a shorter or stubby set of deployable wings for high speed maneuverability, and a second set of high aspect ratio wings to allow gliding with a high glide ratio. In some configurations, both wing sets would sometimes be deployed and in other configurations and/or applications only one set of wings would be deployed at a time. In embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention having variable geometry wing configurations, the wings can be deployed, stowed and/or changed in configuration by a wide variety of methods, including but not limited to manual operation by the user (e.g. pushing, pulling, twisting, separating, etc. with one or more fingers and/or hands, arms, legs and/or other body parts or movements), mechanical actuator (e.g. levers, wires, bell cranks, cables, fulcrums, gears, cams, torsion bars, etc.), hydraulics, pneumatics and/or use of aerodynamic forces. A particularly suitable actuator would be the use of aerodynamic forces applied on parts or surfaces of the personal aircraft device in combination with other mechanical components including springs, dampers, fictional resistance devices to control, damp and/or limit movement. Further, the personal aircraft device can be provided with one or more air scoops designed to utilize differential air pressure to acuate air surfaces and/or pneumatics actuators. As further examples, the personal aircraft device can be flown in certain manners (e.g. sidewise or backwards or frontwards) to deploy and/or stow wing portions to change the direction of airflow relative to the personal aircraft device. The personal aircraft device can also be provided with hydraulic actuators powered by manually operated controls to provide maneuverability of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.
The personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured to provide a wide variety of different types of stability depending on the particular applications thereof. The stability can be fixed or variable and be set by the configuration and design of the board, wing and/or other aerodynamic surfaces of the personal aircraft device. Optionally, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be provided with a flight stabilizing system. For example, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be provided with a computerized control and stabilizing system utilizing feedback from the user and/or sensors or detectors provided on the personal aircraft device to automatically control particular movable control surfaces and/or wing configurations to provide flight stability in use (e.g. fly-by-wire). The system can be partially manual or can be completely fly-by-wire and independent of any manual control of the user. The system may utilize one or more gyroscopes, GPS, satellite transreceiver or other navigation transreceiver, or other electronics for governing the control and stability of the personal aircraft device. In some applications, the control and stability system can be completely preprogrammed and/or variably programmed and controlled from a remote location (e.g. satellite, command center and/or field, for example, by painting a landing zone with a laser) so that the flight of the personal aircraft device is totally hands free from start to finish. However, the system is preferably or necessarily provided with a manual override in the event of unexpected circumstances, mechanical failure, emergency or other destabilizing factors.
The personal aircraft device according to the present invention can optionally be powered. For example, the board and/or wings can be provided with a small or miniaturized power plant and/or propulsion unit (e.g. propeller, duct fan, solid rocket booster, turboshaft, turbojet, turbofan or other suitable power plant or and/or propulsion unit) to increase the performance of the personal aircraft device. For example, by providing power, the personal aircraft device can transcend a greater horizontal distance from the drop zone, can attain higher speed both horizontally and/or vertically, can climb, and can provide a powered landing even with a relatively low aspect ratio of the board and/or wing combination thereof.
The personal aircraft device according to the present invention again preferably utilizes a board, board-like or board-type support or aircraft platform. The board platform of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention provides numerous advantages over other types of supports in that the board platform is configured to cooperate with a user""s body, allows a user to grip the board with arms and/or legs, and provides a sense of protection and stability to the user. Thus, the use of a board as the basic structure or platform for the personal aircraft device according to the present invention is important. Variations and/or modifications of a basic board arrangement or platform can include recesses for body parts, gripping elements or protrusions for cooperating with the user""s body parts (e.g. partial or full harness portion over user""s shoulders, hand gripping portions, leg gripping portions, waist gripping portions, chest gripping portions, neck gripping portions), helmet, shield, bubble, canopy for partially or fully protecting the head of the user, in particular for providing a windshield to enhance the person""s vision and/or reduce noise levels. Further, the personal aircraft device can be configured to provide one or more compartments for stowage of at least one parachute, personal gear, food and water, snacks, clothing, weapons, ammunition, explosives, hardware, first aid, medical supplies and potentially any other necessary or desirable packages or products depending on the particular application or mission. The personal aircraft device can be provided with GPS to provide positional data to the user and/or a transreceiver or transponder for providing remote tracking of the location of the personal aircraft device and/or control thereof for rescue and/or recovery of the user and/or personal aircraft device. Thus, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can become a very sophisticated sport or military conceptual platform for numerous variable applications and operations, providing capabilities not available in current sport and military aircraft. Conceptually, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention becomes a highly maneuverable personnel carrier greatly increasing performance and capability in comparison with current sky diving or paratrooping capabilities today.
A more advanced embodiment of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention may include a body control unit (e.g. handheld) electrical cord (e.g. umbilical) or remote control device for operating the wings and/or movable control surfaces of the personal aircraft device. This device can be ergonomically designed to cooperate and couple with the hand, fingers, wrist, anus, mouth, neck, eyes, legs, ankles, feet, toes of the operator user. In versions of the personal aircraft device having a hood, helmet and/or canopy, a heads-up display and/or control can be implemented so that the user can simultaneously view data in controlling the device by eye movement to move in the direction the pilot is viewing (i.e. movement of pupil provides control signal for moving wings and/or control surfaces of personal aircraft device). In this manner, the pilot can operate the device completely hands free allowing the pilot to grip or hold onto portions of the personal aircraft device without interfering with the control thereof. However, in some embodiments control may be achieved by multiple inputs, for example, by both the eyes and hands and possibly the feet of the operator.
The personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured to accommodate a single rider or multiple riders.
The personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be made of aircraft quality metal (e.g. aluminum, titanium, steel components), or more preferably is made of a composite construction including one or more plastics, resins, molded plastic, laminated plastic, glass fibers, carbon fibers, Kevlar, ceramic fibers, ceramic sheets, wood, or other suitable base materials. It is highly desirable to make the personal aircraft device according to the present invention as light and as strong as possible (e.g. preferable in the range of two (2) pounds to one hundred fifty (150) pounds unpowered, more preferably in the range of two (2) pounds to seventy-five (75) pounds unpowered, and most preferably in the range of two (2) pounds to fifty (50) pounds unpowered), and almost indestructible during operation and use. Further, the entire personal aircraft device or components thereof can be designed and tailored to be flexible or resilient to allow the pilot to control the device by moving or bending aerodynamic surfaces (e.g. wing bending, elevator bending, horizontal stabilizer bending) without causing structural damage to components or the device itself. Due to the small size of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention, the personal aircraft device can be designed and constructed to withstand high aerodynamic and/or G-forces well beyond those tolerable by a human operator, and rugged enough to withstand hard landings, operational abuse during transportation and/or storage to provide significant reuse thereof to provide years of service. However, some versions could be designed for one time use or be disposable.